Saudi Blogger Gets 7 Years and 600 Lashes for Insulting Islam

According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi liberal blogger Raef Badawi- who faced possible death for apostasy- will get 7 years in jail and 600 lashes instead for insulting Islam. They couldn't get him on apostasy because he proved he is still a Muslim. I'm sure those who were bucking for apostasy charges are all sorely disappointed.

The charges against Badawi were based solely on his peaceful exercise of his right to free expression, Human Rights Watch said. Badawi established his online platform in 2008, to encourage debate on religious and political matters in Saudi Arabia. He has been detained in Jeddah’s Buraiman prison since his arrest on June 17, 2012.

[snip] 

“This incredibly harsh sentence for a peaceful blogger makes a mockery of Saudi Arabia’s claims that it supports reform and religious dialogue,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “A man who wanted to discuss religion has already been locked up for a year and now faces 600 lashes and seven years in prison.”

[snip]

Abu al-Khair said that the judge sentenced Badawi to five years in prison for insulting Islam and violating provisions of Saudi Arabia’s 2007 anti-cybercrime law through his liberal website, affirming that liberalism is akin to unbelief. The judge ordered the closure of the website and added two years to Badawi’s sentence for insulting both Islam and Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, or religious police, in comments during television interviews.

[snip]

Saudi authorities have long harassed Badawi for debating religious issues. In March 2008, authorities arrested Badawi and questioned him about his website, but released him a day later. In May 2008, Badawi was formally charged with “setting up an electronic site that insults Islam” and he left the country. He returned when prosecutors apparently decided to drop the charges, he told Human Rights Watch. In 2009, the authorities barred Badawi from traveling abroad and froze his business interests, depriving him of a source of income, he told Human Rights Watch.

On March 18, 2012, the well-known cleric Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Barrak issued a religious ruling declaring Badawi an “unbeliever… and apostate who must be tried and sentenced according to what his words require.” Al-Barrak claimed that Badawi had said “that Muslims, Jews, Christians, and atheists are all equal,” and that even if these were not Badawi’s own opinions but “an account of the words of others, this is not allowed unless accompanied by a repudiation” of such words.

Fearing a backlash, his wife and four kids left the Kingdom. Hope he does the same thing when he's released.

Saudi Rights Activist Faces Beheading For Apostasy- Action Alert

Saudi rights activist Raef Badawi faces losing his head for "apostasy" after he was arrested in Jeddah in June for no specific reason other than the fact that he is one of the co-founders (along with female rights activist Suad al-Shammari) of the Saudi Liberal Network, an organization that was advocating "a day of liberalism" on May 7. A conference was cancelled after authorities told the group that it was inadvisable. We all know what that means.

Badawi and the other activists essentially want to do away with "the influence of religion on public life in Saudi Arabia" which is not- technically- apostasy, but certainly enough to anger clerics in that ultra-conservative country.

The judge in the lower court felt he "could not give a verdict in a case of apostasy," hence the referral to the higher court.

There is a petition demanding his freedom, if you care to sign it.